Author: dlepikcom

“Parachute” (*** out of four) was a nicely observed character melodrama about a young woman (Courtney Eaton) who meets a young man (Thomas Mann) after leaving rehab but this relationship results in a whirlwind of emotions and psychological challenges for the both of them. Impressive directorial debut for actress Brittany Snow who charges this with a plethora of great soundtrack songs. Uneven at times, just like the characters and their behavior, but has more-than-enough emotional peaks and effective moments to make it worthwhile.

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“Damaged” (** out of four) was a disappointing suspense thriller about a hard-boiled Chicago detective (Samuel L. Jackson) who travels to Scotland and teams up with a Scottish investigator (Gianni Capaldi) when a series of gruesome murders show the signs of a serial killer from years earlier. Promising beginning soon fizzles out as film becomes monotonous and plodding. Film holds you with its atmosphere of moldering menace but it leads to a preposterous conclusion which “damages” the whole film.

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“Last Night At Terrace Lanes” (** out of four) was a hollow horror show about a young woman (Francesca Capaldi) who has just survived a date from Hell and has to team up with her survivalist father (Ken Arnold) when a group of maniacs go on a bloodthirsty rampage at the local bowling alley. Cheeky sendup of ‘80’s horror thrillers has a few amusing moments and good kills but not enough to sustain a full movie. No gutter ball but hardly a strike either.

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“A Model Murder” (** out of four) was a superficial suspense thriller about a successful model (Sara Bell) who is attempting to launch an acting career when she begins being increasingly terrorized and stalked by an unknown fan; she subsequently hires a digital security expert (Austin Valli) but the threats increase so she wonders if he could possibly be involved. Slickly made with a professional and smooth veneer but is following a much-too-familiar pattern and routine. Hardly the worst of its genre but not exactly “a model” for others to follow.

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“Civil War” (** out of four) was a grandiose but grim melodrama set in a not-too-distant dystopian future in which a group of military journalists (Nick Offerman, Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and others) who race against time to reach the White House before rebel factions overtake it and declare monopoly and anarchy. Writer/director Alex Garland tries to be making a timely and topical story of historical proportion and elements but his ambition outweighs his excellence as film is clouded by a detached sense of indifference. Only the last half-hour (when they actually reach the White House) has any impact. Film has been released on exactly 163 years after the real Civil War.

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“They Turned Us Into Killers” (* out of four) was an exploitative, ugly melodrama about a young woman (Lauren Francesca) who is assaulted by her boyfriend (Bryce Draper) which leads to her committing suicide and her friend (Scout Taylor-Compton) hunts him down and his brothers and begins to systematically torture them and reading her suicide letter before she takes their lives. Grindingly unpleasant movie lacks intelligence or insight and goes nowhere. Horror movie icons Kane Hodder, Bill Mosely, and Michael Berryman are wasted and it’s junk like this that “turned” their careers into mush.

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“Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey 2” (*1/2 out of four) was a simply awful sequel about the continuing adventures of Pooh, Owl, Piglet, and Tigger who refuse to live in the shadows and leave a bloodthirsty trail of rampage and destruction while various townsfolk (Scott Chambers, Tallulah Evans, and others) attempt to stop them. Slightly better than the original but that’s like saying you’re going to have one root canal, instead of two. Turning these loveable characters into homicidal killers shows poor taste but film still is dumb and dull.

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“Knox Goes Away” (**1/2 out of four) was an uneven but undeniably touching story of an aging hitman (Michael Keaton who also directed) who learns he has severe progressive dementia and has only weeks to live and has to put his affairs together while evading the police and attempting to repair a relationship with his estranged son (James Marsden). Keaton is terrific as usual and also shows good touches as a director but film has too many half-baked subplots that undercut it from fully connecting. Suzy Nakamura is strong as lead detective who’s on Keaton’s trail.

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